The SO's Race car

[smee]

OK,
Further from my post in the Corolla thread we (Me) have just bough this to start doing khanas and autocross, hill climbs in.
Want to get Fiona (SO) back out and into competition.

Not bad, new steering rack, cv's and some other sundry items.

Lob on a sump guard, maybe a half cage and some new shocks and all will be good.

Not bad for $775



I've sussed out some new shocks for it.

Thing is, they cost more than the car did......

Need some second hand 14 inch rally tyres for the time being.

-------------------------------------

Went through the front end of the Corolla.

Obviously the seller did not have a socket set, or spanners. Nearly every bolt in the front end was loose. A couple were non existant.

An M6 bolt is not an engine mount bolt even if it is the right length.

Changed oil after a flush and new filter.
Took apart the front end, resealed the sump.
Seam welded and plated the lower engine cross member.

Re did the exhaust, fixed the fuel filter and hose which was being worn down by the stering rack by making a custom filter mount.
Removed charcoal cannister, but added filter for return line.
Correctly fitted the brake lines and popped the split pins in so the hoses would not move.

Put split pins in were split pins should go. Found one of the tie rod ends had the wrong nut on it.
Tidied up some wiring
Put 15 inch wheels with rally tyres on and found they fit on the front, just. About 3mm clearance. Used ones should go well.

Have found a Sump Guard plan which identifies fold points and radius cuts for corners etc. Need to find someone to cut and bend it all up for me.
Now to attack the rear end, strip interior, find extractors and fit some sort of crude exhaust system. Stick a pod filter on it to get rid of air box, and maybe locate that half cage that is floating around Adelaide.

Have started taking things apart to reduce weight.
Have been to U-Pull it and found some front mudflaps, tow hooks, radiator support. Cost $11
Possibly need a new O 2 sensor. Car runs rough on start up, but gets a bit better once warm.
Idles at about 700 when warm and 1500 - 2000 when cold.

[smee]

Need help in getting this made up.

Anyone know of somewhere in Adelaide that can do it.

[EVOSTi]

Re the idling; may not be the issue in your case but 4a's can have issues with the Idle Control Valve. It's under the throttle body and has a wax pellet thingo in it I believe.

[smee]

Yep, have read about that.

Most have suggested replacing the o2 sensor.

But then, some have said unplug sensor as it runs better at high revs. (where it will spend most of its time)

Time to visit U-Pullit again and see if I can find one.

[itsnotagsr]

Upgrade to AE101 brakes.

I miss my Ae93. Shame they're all shitboxes these days.

[BoganDAVE]

nopics = no pics

therefore

SO = pics

[thechuckster]

O2 sensor on a corolla of this age will only come into play at warm idle and cruise - during heavy load, WoT, decel and cold-start, the system will run in closed loop.

[Supercrown]

Lonsdale Sheet Metal will be able to knock that up easily - alternatively, C.Helps Metal work - also lonsdale.

[smee]

Excellent.
I'll give them a call/email and get a price.

[80DGY]

nopics = no pics

therefore

SO = pics

I came in here to post this

6 posts - for shame PF



shame shame shame

[irsa76]

nopics = no pics

therefore

SO = pics

He's posted pics of her before. Usually in the left seat of a rally car.
Corollas must be the new Gemini.

[smee]

OK,
Got in touch with sheet metal place, and they can do something for me.

Spent some time with dry ice, wire brush wheel, sound deadening and a chisel over the weekend.

Will use alloy tape to plug some holes in the floor through to the sills and exterior so to limit dust ingress.

Have some white paint to go over the floor to make it look respectable.

Need to make up a floor plate for the drivers feet, and put some deck tape on it.

This is result so far. All seems to be going reasonably well.

[Steve]

Don't forget (if you're interested) to weigh the bitumen sealer that comes out of the floor. I pulled more than 60kg out of my Commodore.
Now's the time to reinforce the seat rails with either more metal or at least stitch weld the mounts. and perhaps a harness bar before paint goes in.

[rowdytoot]

looking good smee... lookin good...

[smee]

Have done some stitch welding, so all good.
Welds on this car seem to be well penetrated

Got my eye on a bolt in half cage.
Would add harness bar to this.

[spiller]

nice, i have a nova for a daily, but i paid 500. mines a lot worse than this though. also highly recommend C helps for metal work if you havent used anyone else yet.

[smee]

Yep, Craig has come up with the goods for the sump guard.

I need another for the Mazda, so will probably use him to make another.
Need a brace subframe made for the mazda also, so will take him crushed exemple to see if he can fab something to replace it.

[spiller]

What's the sump gaurd for anyway, are you using it for rally?

[smee]

Car is to be used for Motorkhana's, autocross, hillclimb and anything else the SO will let me do in it.

Autocross tends to be a bit like a rally on a dirt circuit. Not a fan of crushing the exhaust or oil pan as I have seen other cars do at events like this.

If it needed to be turned into a full on Rally Car, then it could be done with little extra work.

Also picked up a set of 4 into 2 into 1 extractors for $80 on the weekend. Now need to get rest of exhaust set up.

[smee]

Completed the tar removal and floor painting.
Have also stuck in a false floor for the driver.

Done a bit of cut and polish on the paint job. Just waiting for a resonse on stickers to complete the TTA look.

[spiller]

looks good, what did you use to paint the floor? pressure packs or paint gun? did you seam weld before hand?

[smee]

Did some weld checking, but did not thoroughly seem weld.

Paint Place in west lakes gave me a eurathane based paving paint and I brushed it on.
Yes you can see some brush strokes but hey. Did 3 coats. Most areas where feet go is protected by false floor anyway. Used some bright white spray in some areas also.

Passenger side will have a brace and box setup put into it if needed, as the SO wants to use it as a touring road event car that sometimes runs on the dirt roads around Adelaide, Clare, Sedan etc.

[smee]

OK, have updated my photo page with new images.

Hopefully link below.

The SO's race car

[Steve]

OK,

Need to make up a floor plate for the drivers feet, and put some deck tape on it.[/IMG]

For a second there I wondered why the hell you would want to put a tape deck there.

[smee]

Sump guard delivered last night and attachment process commenced.

Suspension still in some foreign land, or on a boat or somewhere.

Racing stickers on the desk.

Tyres with grip fitted.

[smee]

First outing.
Not very good on the handbrake turn though.

[smee]

Gear selector issues fixed I hope.

Last run of the day saw the clutch cook itself.

The gears would not release correctly and the small alloy pin went west.

The one that was in the car was found to be missing a bush which meant it moved a little, and combined with the selector attachment being bent, meant the alloy bush could become stuck, or escape completely.

New arm now has all bushes present and it is not bent. U-pullit do not have any alloy blocks left either. I relieved them of all of them I could find.

Still waiting on this suspension to arrive.

[smee]

Stickered up.

Sump Guard built and on.

[smee]

New suspension and used brass button clutch for the Khana Car.

[TurboMongrel]

Is this a Rally Car?